


MCPD: The Suncoast Gang

by ElfWhoLikesCookies



Category: Mako Mermaids
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Human, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Detectives, Gang Violence, Gen, Minor Violence, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-04 02:31:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14010243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElfWhoLikesCookies/pseuds/ElfWhoLikesCookies
Summary: Human!Detective!AU - In the city of Mako there is no shortage of crime, but the Mako City Police Department are always on the case. Detectives Erik Fisher and  Cameron Mitchell are on the trail of the recently resurfaced Suncoast Gang. Once the most ruthless gang in the city, a change in leadership presents an opportunity to take down the Suncoast Gang for good.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> AN: This whole story is a lot darker than Mako and there are scenes some readers may find disturbing. I will put warnings at the start of each chapter related to the content within that chapter.
> 
> Rated T for the moment but I may put it up.
> 
> Chapter Warnings: None
> 
> Word Count - 157

No one spared her any glances as she hurried through the street. Most of the people were the homeless population. She didn't mean anything to them. She was just another ghost in the streets.

She slipped into an alley, the shadows masked her presence only slightly and there was little of the usual city gunk to hide her footsteps.

She walked slowly forwards. If she could get through the alley she'd be at the shore of Lake Suncoast.

From there she could get out. Head south into Gilleten, then get into Owl'n, try and get a flight or a ferry out.

They would find her if she stayed in the city. That was a certainty. And when they did…

She got through the alley alive. The shore of the lake was ahead. She could keep to the shore, it was probably the safest option.

Then she heard the footsteps behind her. The click of the gun. Then -


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a description of the geography of the new Mako world at the end of this chapter. It is still based in Australia though.
> 
> Chapter Warning - swearing, mentions of murder, scenes some readers may find distressing
> 
> Word Count- 2,482

Erik yawned and stretched and leaned back in his chair. It was 8am on a Monday morning and far too early for anyone to be expected to be awake. He'd slept in again. As had Ondina who breezed in ten minutes later than he had with the usual "start times are just for guidance" which neither the captain or the Sergeant had not approved of. Sergeant David Hills being another authority figure Erik found himself often on the wrong side of, which was definitely to do with his recurring lateness.

"Cover your mouth when you yawn," Mimmi snapped while she glared at him , a look she had clearly learned from Ondina. The brunette had occupied the desk across from him ever since she arrived at the 13th precinct with Ondina, a week after he had.

"No, I'm good," Erik smiled sweetly in response.

He yawned again. Mostly to spite Mimmi. Partly because it was only 8am and he was not awake, and partly because once again he had been burning the midnight oil. Between the coffee breaks , he had been desperately searching for any new leads in his latest case - a man found murdered in the street by the way of a Suncoast Special. A Suncoast Special being a murder with ties to one of the top street gangs in the city. The Suncoast Gang.

The Suncoast Gang had once been the biggest network of smuggling and distributing all things illegal into the city of Mako. Nearly every crime in the city could somehow be connected to them, drug dealing, illegal firearms, kidnappings, murders. Until five years ago.

Five years ago the original leader had been murdered, Veridia Maris. Her death marked the apparent end of the Suncoast Gang. Yet it seemed the organisation was still functional, according to his CIs and the file he had.

Erik wheeled his chair around to the side of his desk and picked up said file. He opened the smooth cream cover and studied the photograph clipped on within it again. He ignored the papers. He had already spent all of last night peering over them, he did not need to do that again. The photo showed woman and a man. The woman was dressed in a black leather and had dark purple hair tied back. She was with Sherridan. The man was a previous associate of Veridia and an active member of the Suncoast Gang.

He had been put on the case exactly 17 hours ago and already he was stumped. He had been to the crime scene and received the autopsy report. There was nothing leading to who had killed him. No eyewitnesses. No leads. Nothing. Just one picture from a location near the murder scene, of an unknown woman sent in by unknown tipster who claimed the woman was involved. David said someone sent it in in an a unmarked envelope. Of course that was all before it was confirmed to be the Suncoast Gang. And he couldn't just arrest a whole gang for one woman.

"Detective Fisher." Captain Blakely had appeared in front of Erik's desk while he had been musing the Suncoast case.

Captain Blakely was a permanently stern man with greying black hair and ageing skin who was always dressed in his impeccably crease-free uniform. He also held a slight dislike for Erik, as far as Erik could tell. Might have had something to do with the whole lateness issue and often complete disregard of his authority.

"Captain, how can I help you?" Erik set down the file and raised his head to talk to his boss.

"The Suncoast Case. I want you off it."

"It was only just assigned it to me." Erik furrowed his brow in confusion. That was the easiest way to describe his feelings. Confusion. There was anger too. He had only just been given the case and now it was being taken away from him. Because of , what? He hadn't solved it in 17 hours? Not even the great Captain Robert Blakely could do that.

"Yes," Blakely agreed, "But it's being reassigned to the Island Bureau of Investigation , they already have a lead."

"I have a lead." That was a blatant lie. But Blakely didn't need to know that. Erik would think of something. He had a name, he could-

"It's not your case anymore Fisher."

"That man in that photo is Sherridan. He has a record, we know his address. We pick him up, find out who that woman is."

"No need. IBI already have her name. I'll have that file please."

Captain Blakely held out his hand. Erik sighed. He closed the file and held it out for the Captain to take.

"Who is she?"

"That is not something you need to know. Now any information you get from your CI's, you pass on to me, I'll forward it to the Bureau, they are properly trained to deal with this and will handle it."

"You haven't given me a proper case in months, now I finally get one and you pass it off." He forced himself to keep his voice level and calm and steady.

"People get their cases taken off them all the time. The Frankel murder case, I assigned to Odell was taken by Organised Crime last week. Mulvey's drug bust was taken over by Vice. Deal with it Fisher."

The captain took the file. Erik slumped in his seat and watched as the man took the file into his office and shut the door.

He sighed loudly.

"Do you mind?" Mimmi snapped. She paused her paperwork to glare again.

"Not at all Mimmi."

If all he had to do to entertain himself was irritate Mimmi, let the fun begin. He was sure she was jealous of his relationship with his Ondina. When they first arrived nearly everyone had thought Ondina and Mimmi were dating. Turns out they were just very close friends. Apparently. Recently though Ondina had been leaving Mimmi to spend more time with Erik. If his best friend did that to him, he'd probably feel the same.

Still no harm in a little calculated annoyance. The trick was never getting her into full blown anger. Which meant he would have approximately 30 seconds.

"So, Mimmi-"

"No." She didn't even look up.

"I didn't-" Erik began.

"No," Mimmi cut him off.

Make that five seconds...

* * *

"Heard captain took your case away."

Erik hadn't realised he had zoned out while waiting for the coffee machine to heat, until the voice of Cameron , or 'Cam' Mitchell sounded behind him , startling him.

"Fuck, you gave me a fright." Erik half turned to talk to the other man. "But yes the Captain took my case. Handed it off to the Bureau."

"Same thing happened to me. As soon as any of us get anything to do with Suncoast it's taken off us. It's got something to do with the new apparent leader - Augado."

"Augado?"

"That woman in the picture you got. I heard captain talking to some agents about your case and they called her Augado. That's all I heard before captain realised I was there. Also turns they can't do anything about her because they can't prove she's actually in control. There's no evidence on her."

So she had a name. A surname, it was most likely to be her surname, was a start to finding her full name.

"Augado, that's a Spanish name right?" Erik was a guy murdered two months ago with that surname, Luiz Augado. Although he might have been Cuban. It was an unfortunate fact of the city that about 50% of all murder victims were immigrants to Mako Island who had settled in the city.

"I don't speak Spanish, how should I know? What I do know , though, is I want coffee and you're in the way."

Cam moved to get into the coffee pot, which Erik was standing in front of. Erik stepped to the side and looked out through the window into the bullpen. Carly Morgan, the administrative assistant, was sitting on the desk of the civilian administrator, Sirena Satchell. The two blondes appeared to be discussing something Carly had on her phone. Mimmi was gone, as was Ondina; the pair were working on a homicide, a case Mimmi had been given after her previous case, had been handed off following ties to the Suncoast Gang. The only other person of significance left was the Sergeant. Even the Captain was off out at a meeting with his superiors.

"It's quiet out there," Cam remarked , pouring coffee into the "Game of Thrones" sigil mug Erik had gotten him last Christmas in the precinct's Secret Santa.

"Three people. Five including us. We're seriously understaffed. We literally have 5 detectives here. Most prectints have eight at minimum." Erik adjusted his position, adopting what he hoped was a dramatic captain-y pose. He hoped Carly would look up and remember he was above her in the rankings here. That woman really had it out for him. He really wasn't approved much in the precinct.

"It'd help if we all turned up on time. You were late every day last week and today, I was late three days last week. Only three compared to your six."

Cam put the coffee pot back on the burner and went to take a sip from his cup.

"No wonder captain's pissed," Erik remarked. "We really need new detectives in here. How many were there when you started?" Erik asked Cam. Cam had started at the precinct about six years ago, two years before he had. Erik had begun working at the 20th Precinct over in the Gilleten borough, while Cam had started here at the 13th precinct in Owl'n.

Cam lowered his cup and set it onto the worktop creating another ring on the table.

"Let me think, I've not had enough coffee for this much brain work yet. Right, me and David were here as was Zac, the captain's son. There was also this blonde chick Lyla and then Sirena's friend Nixie. There was also this woman who was here for like a day but I barely remember her, pretty sure she was called Rita though. Yeah that was it, same name as my grandmother. That's how I remembered.

"Then Zac transferred last year and then those two chicks left to go to one of the Norden precincts. You replaced Zac, then Ondina and Mimmi replaced the other two. Basically only works out at like one more person though. No one replaced Rita when she left," Cam finished.

"That was," Erik began slowly, "unnecessarily long winded."

"I told you, brain's not working. I had to do all that calculating. Did you not see me counting on my fingers?"

He hadn't. He had been watching the minimal activity out in the maze of desks and papers , instead of watching Cam work out Maths.

"I did not," he informed Cam, "I'm trying to intimidate Carly but so far she's not picking up on my power pose and piercing stare."

"Stop flirting with the assistants. They are beneath us," Cam said.

"Don't let Carly hear you say that," Erik warned, "She'll have you eating through a tube with a drip in your arm." Carly didn't take shit from anyone. Neither did Ondina. Or Mimmi. At least the only one who would actually resort to physical violence was Ondina.

"If it makes me even more socially conscious - I'm all for it. Plus sick pay. And this thing called semi-free health care." Cam was grinning.

"Dude, seriously stop roasting America," Erik sighed, "I cannot take any more. One more and you will end up eating through a tube by my hand, not Carly's."

"Alright. I'll  _cool_  it." The look on Cam's face could be described as a proud dad having successfully, or unsuccessfully, delivered a "dad joke."

"Fuck off," Erik swore.

Cam picked up his cup and took a swig of his coffee.

"Fuck, fuck, too hot." Cam spat coffee on the worktop and the floor like a scalding fountain.

Erik jumped back to avoid the coffee spat from Cam's mouth.

"Watch it man, you're ruining my dramatics."

"I burned my mouth!" Cam dabbed at his face with the end of his tie.

"Ha. Serves you right," Erik laughed.

"Oww. Fucking burns," Cam swore.

"Well no shit, it's hot coffee you moron. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to my desk to wait for a new case."

"Mmh, wait a sec," Cam said. He paused briefly to carefully sip some more coffee. "I've got a B&E open, fuck that has not cooled any in those few seconds, want to jump on? Stay out of Blakely's way when he returns?"

_Hmm. On one hand, effort. On the other hand a case is a case._

"Where is this B&E?" Erik asked.

"City centre-ish, near that good coffee place. I'll drive."

"You've just burned your mouth on coffee, you really want more?" Erik asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Aye, this stuff is shit. So what you say?"

"Why not? I love a good B&E. Not as pressureful as murders or kidnappings or gangs."

"Let's go then."

Cam set down his coffee and casually strolled out into the bullpen and over to his desk. Erik watched through the window as Cam grabbed his jacket and a case file. Cam waved to Erik through the window gesturing for him to come out.

"Where you off to Cam?" David called from his desk.

"Coffee run, Erik's coming with me."

"What's with the file?"

"A suspect lives near the coffee shop. You want anything David? Carly? Sirena?"

"Two caramel frappuccinos and a latte macchiato," Carly asked without looking from her phone.

"Yeah, that," David agreed.

Erik slipped out of the break room and walked slowly over to his desk to grab his jacket. He pulled on his jacket slipping his arms into the sleeves and leaving it open. He noted the unfortunate absence of files. The Suncoast murder had been his only open case and now that was gone.

Still a re-surfacing gang always left trails. There's always slip ups all he had to do was keep his eyes open. There was no way he was letting the Suncoast Gang get away again. He wasn't going to wait another five years to get this chance to take them down. He would continue investigating on his own, maybe Cam would help. Two heads were better than one and there was always something about going against the rules both him and Cam enjoyed. Also it would be one giant middle finger to Blakely. What's not to love? And when else would he get paid to disobey orders while also investigating the group of people who landed him in a pit of despair all those years ago?

_Watch it Augado. I'm coming for you and your people. The Suncoast Gang is going down._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character List
> 
> As barely any of them had surnames in the show, I chose surnames for all those who didn't have surnames in cannon.
> 
> Erik Fisher (from random surname list)
> 
> Mimmi Odell (from random surname list)
> 
> Ondina Mulvey (the surname of my only friend in my Business Management class)
> 
> Sirena Satchell (I asked my cousin for random surnames, I liked this one for Sirena)
> 
> Cameron Mitchell (cannon)
> 
> Carly Morgan (cannon)
> 
> David Hills (Rowan Hills is the actor who plays David so I just took his last name)
> 
> Robert Blakely (cannon)
> 
> Geography: They live in Mako City, which is the capital of Mako Island. Mako City is split into five boroughs - Norden, Queens, Owl'n, Carvaganno and Gilleten. The city is surrounded on three sides by beach front and on one side by a river.
> 
> I have a map drawn up showing the different areas and police precincts. I can post it on my tumblr and put the link up here. (I'll update this once I have done that)
> 
> Norden is basically a play on Northern, Queens after Queens in New York , Owl'n because I needed a name and I had an owl candle in my room while I was trying to think of names, and Carvaganno and Gilleten were both my cousin's suggestions.
> 
> I do have all of this story written hence I can actually do regular updates. I have decided to stay with Sunday and Wednesday updates but if I feel like it I might post an extra chapter on a Friday.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I was actually really excited to post this, I've never been this excited about posting before.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Swearing, drug overdose, death, scenes some readers may find disturbing
> 
> Word Count - 3,198

It was probably cliché, okay it was definitely cliché, his reasoning for wanting to pursue the Suncoast Gang. In all honesty it wasn't having the murder taken away from him that bothered him, it was just another murder. It was the fact that taking the case away took his chance for tracking the gang, something he'd wanted for five years. Now the Island Bureau had all the files the precinct had once owned on the Suncoast Gang, leaving him with only barest scraps of knowledge that anyone can find on the internet. Although he did still have a CI in the ranks. Once today was over he'd get in touch with his CI, Kyle Henderson.

"So where exactly is this B&E?" Erik asked, "we're almost at the city centre."

They'd been driving for three quarters of an hour, stopping almost constantly at traffic lights as they neared the city centre, and Cam still hadn't said where they were going.

"Uh, not that much further, mate," Cam stumbled over his words. The car stopped again as they hit yet another red light.

Erik leaned against the window watching as the pedestrians scuttled along the path. Fat pigeons wandered about waddling out of the way of the feet of the people.

"Who's the vic? Or was it a store or something?" Erik probed, carefully watching Cam's reaction.

"A store. It's um, I can't actually remember the name. It was something dumb. You know me, brain's too smart to retain dumb knowledge." Cam kept his eyes straight ahead on the car in front of them.

The lights turned orange, then to green and Cam drove onwards. A lone person dashed across the road in front of their car. Cam slammed on the brakes and shouted a curse.

"Fuck you shitstain!"

Cam blared the horn. The man turned and stuck his middle finger up.

"Cuntstick."

_People_. Erik sat upright again and thought out a silent prayer that Cam wouldn't do something stupid. Cam wasn't always the greatest with impulse control at the best of times.

Then a thought hit him. Cam was acting more subdued than normal. He had been unusually quiet too. Usually he complained about the radio then put on some random CD, usually some sort of heavy metal, and then skipped through all the songs, put on another CD, skip all the way through that, and then go back to radio, all while talking almost non-stop. Today he kept the radio on and the complaining to a minimum.

Cam also didn't remember the name of the store, and refused to give out the address and hadn't been prepared to answer when Erik had asked where the break in was. He was hiding something.

"There's no case is there?" Erik asked.

"There is not. But there was. Last year. 'Pod's Coffee Shop' was broken into and $3,000 was stolen and then recovered by one Cameron Mitchell."

Cam flicked the indicator and turned left down a side street.

"Right." So his hunch was correct, "good solve."

They turned a few more times, passed three more traffic lights - Cam still ignoring his questions about where they were going and what exactly they were doing - until they came out onto a wide street lined with shops that Erik recognised as Parchelen Street.

"I heard Blakely mention this address linked to the Suncoast Gang when IBI were in. They also may have said something about 11:29am. Oh look it's 11:15, that's only 14 minutes."

"Why?" Erik asked, confused. Cam had no interest in the Suncoast Gang. The man had lived a privileged life. He grew up in the north side of Owl'n, right at the border of the Norden borough, one of the higher class areas. People up there had no dealings with street gangs.

"I know you're not going to drop this so I'm helping you," Cam explained, "We'll bust the Suncoast Gang, we'll get you your revenge, act out a typical action movie and drink coffee."

"You really like your coffee."

"That I do," Cam grinned.

Erik smiled. "Thank you Cam."

He had forgotten Cam knew the reason behind this obsession. His past dealings with the gang weren't known to many, he could count on one hand the amount of people who knew, even with Cam included.

Cam indicated again and parked the car across from a row of clothes shops.

"I brought a camera, we're doing surveillance," Cam reached into the back seat and pulled out a camera," but first - coffee. We have," Cam checked his smartwatch, "11:17. That's 12 minutes 24 seconds. 23. 22. You get the point. Erik you do the first coffee run, 'Pod's' should be quiet about now."

"Why can't you?" Erik asked. He couldn't be bothered moving. Cam had taken his own car, that had seat warmers.

"I drove and I'm willingly going against orders to help you. You get our drinks now, and I'll get the other's drinks once we've finished surveillance."

Erik groaned before sliding down in his seat.

"Gods, you're dramatic," Cam remarked.

Erik unbuckled his seatbelt and sat up again.

"I learned from the best. You got money?"

"Me? Money? Get a grip."

Erik rolled his eyes as he opened the car door. Cam's father may have been loaded but Cam himself rarely seemed to have any money on his person.

"Flat white please. I'll pay you back!" Cam called as Erik climbed out and shoved the door shut.

* * *

"One flat white and one cappuccino venti, for take away please."

"Of course. Can I get a name?" The cheery Latina with the rainbow coloured hair, whose name tag read Jane, was abnormally cheery for a barista, especially in a normally busy coffee shop on a busy shopping street.

For now though Pod's Coffee Shop was occupied by a grand total of five people including himself and Jane. Two old women sat in a window booth chatting over coffees and what appeared to be Millionaire Shortbread and carrot cake.

A student with tired eyes and a green beanie was frantically typing away on a laptop, three takeaway cups beside him. He reminded Erik of himself when he had been a student.

"Flat white for 'Cam' and the cappuccino for 'Erik' with a 'K'," Erik said.

"No problem." Jane pressed some buttons on the till," that will be $9.05AUD."

Erik dug a crumpled $10 note out his jacket pocket. While Jane put his money in the till he checked his phone, 11:20. Hopefully the coffee wouldn't take too long. He had nine minutes until something happened.

Jane held out a small pile of coins.

"Keep the change, Jane."

"Thanks," she beamed before dropping his coins into a jar of other coins on the counter. "We pool tips."

"Gotcha."

Erik slid along the floor to wait to for the coffees, preparing for a short wait. The lunchtime rush was yet to begin. If Pod's was anything like his usual coffee place at this was the low time.  _Low time. Of course._ If anything was going down with a high profile gang, the quieter the street the better.

The door to the shop opened and shut. The sound of heels walking along the wooden boards drew Erik's attention. He turned his head to see who just came in, but was interrupted by Jane appearing in front of him with two take away cups of coffee.

"Your flat white and your cappuccino. Have a wonderful day!" Jane set down the cups before skipping back to the counter.

"Thank you Jane."

Erik turned his head to the side. A woman in black leather with purple hair tied in a low ponytail was standing at the counter. It was the woman from the photograph. Augado. Or whatever her name was.

Erik felt his stomach tighten. He forced himself to breathe. If she was here then Cam was right about something going down.

"Hi, sorry to keep you waiting. What can I get for you?" Jane asked the woman, smiling.

Erik picked up the cups, noting the interesting spellings of "Calm" and "Erick", and walked slowly over to the rack with tissues and various assorted cutlery and sugar packets.

He set the cups down and slowly gathered a small pile of napkins and eight sugar packets.

The beanie wearing student kept typing and the old woman kept talking. They had no idea what was going on.

He tilted his head slightly to the side and heard the woman order a latte. She had a heavy Spanish accent. So he was right about that part.

"And your name?" Jane asked, still smiling.

"Is that necessary?"

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck_. He needed her name.  _Please leave your name._

"Of course not. It's quiet. That will be $4.61 AUD please."

Erik slipped his phone from his pocket and checked the time. 11:25. He had a text from Cam.  _ **Augado in shop w/ you**_

_No shit Cam_. He sighed in defeat before picked up the coffees and strolling towards to the door. He stole quick glances at Augado. Black biker trousers and boots. Short back leather jacket zipped up. He looked up at her face and found her glaring at him.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I uh like your style. Nice boots," Erik smiled warily. He pushed the door open with his shoulder and darted out into the street.

There was a black motorcycle parked outside that hadn't been there before.

When he got closer to the car he saw Cam gesturing to him frantically. Cam leaned over and opened the door for him.

"Your woman went into the coffee shop."

"I saw her and I got your text." Erik handed Cam his coffee, who thanked him in return.

"She didn't give her name to the barista, who does that? Don't people want their names on their coffee cups? She also glared at me because she caught me staring." Erik slipped into the car and pulled the door shut.

"You got yourself on the wrong side of a gang leader , who maybe just didn't want to see her name butchered by a barista, for acting like a stereotypical male?" Cam raised an eyebrow.

"Cut the social commentary. I was trying to find any distinguishing features to help us identify her, besides the purple hair. All the new information I got is she dresses like a biker."

"That motorbike belongs to her." Cam pointed to the motorcycle Erik had noticed when he emerged from the coffee shop.

"That explains it. Did you get the number plate of the bike?" Erik asked.

"Yeah I got it. I got out and pretended to check out the notice board outside the shop and took a photo of her bike once she was inside. We'll put out an APB when we get back to the precinct."

"Nice one."

Erik cautiously sipped his coffee, he didn't want to repeat Cam's actions from earlier and burn his mouth.

"Oh, I got sugar for you if you want any," Erik said, remember the sugar packs he took while listening into the exchange between Augado and Jane.

"Nah, I'm good. Oh, that's her, get down," Cam hissed.

The woman appeared from the coffee shop carrying a take away cup of coffee.

Erik slid down in his seat, holding his cup upright at an awkward angle to prevent it spilling. Cam mirrored his actions.

"Augado. We got her," Erik breathed.

"Take the photos. I don't know how to use the camera," Cam whispered , passing Erik the camera with one hand.

Erik sat up enough to see over the dashboard. The woman was standing by the motorcycle drinking her coffee. He set his own coffee down on the floor.

He lifted the camera above the dashboard and took a series of photos.

"Look, look she's meeting someone," Cam whispered. He too was peering up over the dashboard.

A man with light brown hair and stubble joined her beside the bike. The woman smiled brightly and set her coffee cup on the bike seat. She jumped up and hugged the man. He hugged her back and the relief on his face was easy to see.

"Get a photo of his face," Cam instructed.

Erik adjusted the camera and took another burst of photos. The pair broke their embrace.

"We put out an APB on the bike, we find out who that guy is and we're one step closer to busting the Suncoast Gang," Cam said excitedly.

Erik watched the man leave. He walked quickly, head down and hands in pockets, heading in the same direction he had come from. Augado chucked her coffee cup in the bin. She proceeded to put on her helmet, swing her leg over her bike , kids out the kickstand and pull out into the road, speeding off in the same direction the man walked off in.

_Short meeting. But incredibly beneficial to us._

Now they needed evidence. They couldn't do anything without sufficient evidence. Find her name, get some evidence, then arrest her.

"There was something familiar about her. I've seen her before somewhere," Cam said.

"Well it's a small world," Erik said. He was forever seeing people whose faces he knew but never knowing where from. It was a part of the job, you met so many people.

"We'll get her," Erik said," here, I'll come back with you for the next batch of coffee. Jane will be able to tell us if she bought her coffee with cash or card."

"Jane?" Cam asked before cautiously taking a sip of his coffee.

"The barista. She's very happy and has rainbow hair," Erik explained.

"Awesome. Let's go get more coffee."

"You're back again," Jane grinned at Erik when he re-entered the coffee shop, Cam behind him.

"Yeah, I have a couple questions," Erik said.

"Sure," Jane said. Erik picked up on the flirty tone and made a note to say something next time she tried that. He was a taken man.

Erik unclipped his badge and held it up

"MCPD."

He noted Cam doing the same.

Erik walked up to the counter. "The woman who came in after me, did she pay by cash or card?"

"Uh, cash. She used cash," Jane answered, her tone shifting dramatically from flirtatious to serious.

"Damn it," Erik cursed, "has she been here before?"

"I've never seen her before."

"Did she end up giving her name?" Erik asked.

"No. She didn't. Why? What's she done?" Jane looked scared.  _Why do people always get scared? She's gone, she's not going to do anything. What does it matter you served a gang leader a coffee? You were just doing your job._

"Nothing serious. Would I be able to get two venti caramel frappuccinos and one venti latte macchiato to go please?" Cam asked.

"Coming right up. You want names?" Jane asked.

"Carly and Sirena for the frappuccinos and David on the latte, please."

Erik reclipped his badge. There was still a way to find that woman. They had the plates, they could find the guy and they had the picture of Sherridan.  _Sherridan!_

"Oh my god," Erik whispered.

"What?" Cam turned around to look at Erik while Jane was counting out change.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me."

"What?!" Cam whisper-shouted.

"Sherridan! Augado was seen with Sherridan. I know his address!" Erik whispered excitedly.

"We're gonna get her." Cam grinned.

Cam turned back and thanked Jane as she gave him his change. He held out the small pile of coins in his hand, "that's for my coffee earlier."

Erik took the coins. "Thanks man. Glad David's nice enough to buy you coffee."

"He said to keep the change. And he hasn't paid me for the last coffee run I did."

They lapsed to silence as Jane made the coffees and scrawled on the cups.

"Here's your coffees. Good luck on your case you guys!" Jane's bubbly demeanour was back.

"Thanks Jane," they said in unison.

"She was so ready to flirt with you until she saw you were a cop," Cam whispered as they left the shop.

Erik just shook his head.

"Let's stop by the precinct drop of these coffees and I'll grab Sherridan's file. I stashed it in my desk when the captain wanted all my Suncoast stuff earlier before he left."

"Let's go."

* * *

"MCPD, open up!" Erik knocked on the smooth wooden door.

"These guys always have the nicest apartments. Should I turn to drug dealing? My apartment is like half the size of these ones," Cam whispered.

Sherridan had a top floor apartment near the city centre looking out over Lake Suncoast, and across the lake the Carvaganno area. Erik didn't doubt for a second that the entire precinct could fit into one of these apartments at least twice over. It cost serious bucks to live in a place like this - you could get a place on the Norden border for cheaper. And Norden was the richest part of the city.

"Shut it Cam. James Sherridan, open up!" Erik knocked again.

"I'll try the door," Cam stepped forward and tried the handle. The door swung open and a rotten stench leaked out.

"What is that smell?"

"That's what the neighbours were complaining about," Erik said. He pulled his gun and advanced slowly. Cam did the same.

"Sherridan? MCPD."

Erik swept the apartment with his eyes. Cam went left, moving slowly and cautiously.

"He's over here Erik," Cam said in a flat voice.

Erik rushed over to Cam. James Sherridan lay on his back, eyes partially opened, stomach bloated. He had a needle hanging out of his arm.

"I'll call this in," Cam said.

There went the most solid lead they had. James Sherridan died with information that Erik needed. Now he had to wait for the bike to get a hit or to identify that man Augado was with and hope he divulged the necessary information.

* * *

"I told you to drop the case!"

Captain Robert Blakely was furious. That was the only word Erik could use. If this was a cartoon, there would be steam coming out of his ears.

"And the next thing I know you're calling in a body. The body of a suspect in the case you were told to drop!"

Blakely slammed a file onto the table. Erik assumed it was a random file to intimidate them, rather than anything relevant.

"I was going to ask him about a B&E over in Carvaganno," Erik said, adopting as sweet a voice as he could.

The captain exhaled deeply.

"Get out. And if I catch either of you stepping out of line one more time, you will both be suspended. Or fired."

Erik stood up and left without another word. He heard Cam behind him speak.

"Captain."

Cam shut the door behind them.

"Well, that didn't go too badly," Cam said.

Erik sighed. At least they were only threatened with suspension.

"We're not dropping this case are we?" Cam asked.

Erik shook his head, "no way in hell. I want to find out who that woman is and I want to find out who killed Ava. This is the best way I've got to do that."

_It's really the only way..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Chapter 3 will be up on Wednesday 21st March 
> 
>  
> 
> New Characters
> 
> Character: Jane Flórez (barista)
> 
> Cast : Gina Rodriguez (Jane from "Jane the Virgin")
> 
> Character: James Sherridan (now deceased)
> 
> Cast: David Anders (Blaine from "iZombie", Dr Whale from "Once Upon a Time")


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Murder basically straight away, mentions of murder, swearing, scenes some readers may find distressing
> 
>  
> 
> Word Count - 1, 741

**Five Years Ago**

"What. The. Fuck?"

Erik stopped and stared. A man was hanging out of a window, noose around his neck and his stomach slashed open, insides hanging down like slimy gooey tentacles. It was like something out of Hannibal.

"A Suncoast Special." Stephen Flarr appeared towering over Erik. The tall African- American man had been Erik's partner for the two weeks he had been a detective and this was their first case that hadn't just turned out to be a confused old woman threatening to scoop people's eyes out with a spoon.

"What's a Suncoast Special? Is that like a Glasgow smile *****  or something but with… this?" Erik gestured to the hanging man. He felt his stomach shift in defiance to the sight. He prayed he wouldn't throw up.

"It's a killing done by the Suncoast Gang. There's usually a great deal of trauma surrounding the death, as you can see by today's wondrous sight, but the actual method is never always the same each time. The only constant is the sun they carve into the victim's forehead, " Flarr explained. He took his notebook out and scribbled something down.

"Suncoast? Like the lake? It sounds more like a beach resort than the name of a gang."

"Last year they shipped over $8million worth of cocaine into the city and were also responsible for the most gang related murders in our great Mako City.

" If you look at the man's forehead when they take him down, there's a sun carved into the skin. Bet ya the ME's will tell you it was done when he still lived, as was the gutting and the hanging," Flarr told him, nodding at the corpse.

"Holy fuck Wait - why haven't I heard anything about the Suncoast Gang if they're that murderous?"

"Because it's a massive embarrassment," Stephen said bluntly, "IBI currently handles all the cases because no one in the MCPD has managed to get any leads on any members. IBI aren't doing too good either," Stephen paused to laugh "By the way, we ain't keeping this case. They've linked it to Suncoast now, they're taking it off us. That's the third case in two months I've had taken away."

Erik watched as uniformed officers took photos and forensics crews wandered about. He recognised the redhead Lydia, the newest ME. He'd met her last week when Stephen showed him around. He waved to her. She grinned at waved back before turning away to work.

* * *

"Hey Erik. How was work?"

He arrived home that night to the smell of something burning and his younger sister's cheery voice.

Ava Fisher had the same sandy hair as Erik , but inherited the blue eyes from their mother while Erik had the same green as their paternal grandfather.

"I finally got an interesting case but it got taken off me," Erik called out. He shrugged off his jacket and hung it up. He could feel the wait of his badge in the pocket. It wasn't safe to broadcast he was police around here. No one in Gilleten liked the police. If they found out a cop lived among them, the windows would be smashed before he could blink. Most officers in the only precinct in Gilleten lived at the Owl'n or Carvaganno borders. For personal safety.

The lightbulb above him flickered. Now, is that because the bulb's going fucked or the electricity wasn't paid?

"More interesting than the woman-next-door's mother threatening to scoop people's eyes out with a spoon?" Ava's voice rang through.

He turned his attention away from the dilemma of the light, it was just the bulb, and crossed the room in three strides. Ava was sitting on the kitchen counter , two plates of chips and beans beside her.

"It was a Suncoast Gang murder up on the Carva' border," Erik told her.

"Wow, that's… very close to here. Are they operating in here yet?"

"I don't know, IBI have the investigation now, but it's possible. It is getting worse here," Erik said. "Wait how do you know about the Suncoast Gang? I'm a cop and I only just found out about them today."

"High school is a rich cultural place. There's like ten dealers for Suncoast in every one of my classes. And it's not the same people each time."

"I didn't know."

"That's life here in Gille'n."

"Well once you get a job, between the four of us we can get a place in Owl'n and get you in a school where drug dealers aren't the majority. Then hopefully I can move out into my own place within the next ten years."

"I can't get a job. I have to study so I can get a scholarship and get out of here myself. Then it's only three of you who need a new place, that'll save money. You'll only need a one bedroom."

"We already live in a one bedroom place. You need a job , Ava. I think they need night temps at the the precinct. I can put in a good word for you."

"Night shift? No way I need my beauty sleep." She swung her legs out and hopped down off the counter.

Erik sighed. Was he this difficult when he was sixteen?

He shuffled to the counter and picked up his plate. Ava grabbed her own and took the two steps back into the sitting room.

"Bring the cutlery!" She called.

Erik opened the drawer and took out two forks.

"What did you burn?" he asked. The burning smell was stronger in here.

"Nothing. I lit a candle and then remembered I wasn't allowed to so I blew it out. Now get your arse here so I can eat my dinner before it goes cold."

Erik just rolled his eyes.

* * *

Erik was lying on the couch, his half empty take away tray on his stomach watching reruns of "Bones" when Ava came home.

He'd had another boring day. There seemed to be no cases, which irritated the hell out of him , considering the state of the area. Gilleten wasn't the cheapest and most run down part of the city for no reason. Criminal activity thrived here, but nobody does anything about it.

"Ava!" Erik called out, "you're late. I got you chips but they're probably cold."

"Thanks, but I ate at Amy's, we had history homework."

"Did you walk back alone? I thought Amy lived in Owl'n?"

"She does. I got the bus , I got off outside Ramona's. I had my pepper spray with me."

"Good girl."

Ava slung her school bag onto the floor and collapsed onto the couch, which tonight would be her bed. They took it turn about to sleep in the bed while their parents worked.

Erik sat up slowly, making sure his chips didn't fall.

"Hey nice ring. Where'd you get it?"

Ava wore a ring on her right hand ring finger. It was a slim metal band with a carving he couldn't distinguish in the centre. He hadn't seen it on her before.

"Amy got them. It's sort of like a cheesy friendship symbol. It's dumb but she's my friend so I humour her."

_Nothing wrong with that. It's good Ava has friends outside of school, god knows the kids in her school are like._

* * *

"You wanted more info on Suncoast?" Stephen set a box of files on Erik's desk with a loud thud. "I managed to get this lot from IBI, they want them back at the end of the day."

"I did," Erik replied, "I'm worried about my sister, she's been acting...odd recently, always coming home late and last month she came home with this ring. A steel band with a sun carved into it. I only managed to get a look when she took it off for a bath. It's the same design as the man found hanging from his window."

"Shit," Stephen swore, "how old is your sister?"

"17." Erik picked the first file. A murder from 2011.

"Where do you guys live?"

"Jig's Lane."

Erik read over the file. Nothing about a ring. Just that bloody sun symbol. He had found nothing online about one either. Maybe it was just a coincidence. But then the universe is rarely so lazy..

"I got a buddy in the IBI, he said the Suncoast investigation is moving to Gilleten. They brought a dealer in last night from the south, near the Scablands. He had a metal ring with a sun design carved into it."

"No, no, no, no. There's no way Ava would be doing that. That's what other people her age do, not her. Not her."

"They found the leader."

Stephen didn't seem happy. Isn't that a good thing?

"And that's bad?" Erik asked. The Suncoast Gang, once he'd began taking notice , were everywhere. Taking the leader out would only be a good thing.

"She was found dead in one of those back alleys in Gilleten. A sun carved into her forehead."

_Shit._

"They turned on her?"

"Must have done. But IBI arrested a bunch of guys, seems the Suncoast Gang's officially gone."

"I still can't see how this isn't good news."

Stephen was still quiet.

"One of the guys gave us a list of low level workers. It's long, mostly teenagers from the Gilleten and Carvaganno, a couple from the Owl'n border."

He was building to something and Erik couldn't be bothered with the suspense.

"Just get to it."

"Your sister's name was on that list."

"I knew she was working for Suncoast. That's not new. She admitted to it me yesterday."

"There were names with crosses next to them. Hugo Wu. Dana Cabillo. Mike Lemmings. Ava Fisher."

"Wu, Cabillo. They were both found dead last week. And Lemmings was found this morning…" Erik started to see the pattern.

He saw Ava this morning. She left for school as their mother came home. She had been smiling and skipped out the door.

Stephen's phone buzzed. Erik watched, frozen , as the man checked his phone.

"They, uh, they found Ava. A...a Suncoast Special."

* * *

Erik had had to identify her body.

He had stood in that morgue, numb, as Lydia had pulled the sheet down to reveal her face. There had been a bloody sun carved into her forehead. He remembered only being able to nod in confirmation to Lydia asking him if it was his sister. He had bolted out the morgue, barrelled into Stephen and remembered nothing until waking up four days later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *A Glasgow Smile or a Chelsea Smile , for those who don't know is basically the Joker's scars. A smile is carved into the face from the corner of the lips out into the cheek, like a smile.
> 
> Also I don't know much about drug prices, I'm going by what I can find and hoping I don't get flagged up for researching illegal stuff. Nearly every internet tab on my phone is something not exactly legal…
> 
> The Hannibal reference from the start of the chapter is out of place. There is a murder like the one in this chapter in season 3 of the Hannibal TV series, which aired in 2015. This chapter is set in 2013.
> 
> Character: Ava Fisher
> 
> Cast: Alexa Gerasimovich
> 
> Character: Stephen Flarr
> 
> Cast: Idris Elba (Heimdall from "Thor", Roland from "The Dark Tower", DCI John Luther from "Luther")
> 
> Character: Lydia Sinclair (medical examiner)
> 
> Cast: Madeline Petsch (Cheryl Blossom from "Riverdale")
> 
> Character: Amy Curry (Ava's friend, only mentioned)
> 
> Cast: None as she is only mentioned
> 
> I have started planning out and writing the second book to follow after this one. It has multiple storylines and focuses on more of the characters than this one does.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Swearing
> 
> Word Count - 3,066

The picture on the screen showed a disheveled man with dull green and bloodshot eyes. He had a scruffy beard across his cheeks, coming down onto his neck that was shades darker than the mess of light brown hair on his head. He was very clearly drunk.

"Yes!" Erik punched the air in victory. He had found the man Augado was talking to the previous day. Harry Alexander Culbride. The man had a record, and an address, which Erik scribbled down onto a post it note.

When he looked up he saw Mimmi looking at him weirdly.

"I thought you'd still be in a bad mood about your case," she said.

"I got another case and I just got a lead."

Erik peeled off the post-it note, pushed off from his desk and rolled across the floor on his chair. He reached out and caught the edge of Cam's desk swinging his chair around. He pressed his scribbled note face down on the desk.

Things were falling into place.

They had the guy Augado was talking to, and he got word from his CI, Kyle, that there was a shipment arriving tomorrow night, and Augado would be there. It seemed no one knew the woman's name, but then Kyle was a low level dealer, not particularly highly rated in the scheme of things.

"I finally found the guy from yesterday. Harry Alexander Culbride. He was arrested four years ago for public intoxication. Guy was shouting at a lamp post in some fancy neighbourhood up in Norden at 3am," Erik whispered.

He kept his eye on David, whose desk was within hearing range, as was Ondina's, but she was off somewhere, most likely not doing her job. David had his head down focusing on paperwork. He didn't seem to have heard anything.

"I can honestly say I've never been that drunk as to shout at lamp posts. I mean I've shouted at my own window once but never a lamp post. They give us light in the darkness," Cam said.

Erik elected to ignore Cam's weirdness. There wasn't time to deal with it.

"I've got his address. Want to have a little chat?" Erik asked.

"Hell to the yeah."

Erik just gave a questioning look in response.

"What?"

Erik pressed on, rather than humouring Cam.

"We need to find out who Augado actually is and fast. Kyle informed me of a shipment coming in tomorrow night; cocaine and guns. It's coming in on a fishing boat to one of the docks then some sketchy guy is delivering it to some warehouse, where Augado will be," Erik repeated to Cam what Kyle had told him earlier.

"You told the captain?"

He hadn't. They were already disobeying a direct command by continuing the investigation in the first place and he doubted Blakely would give him another chance. In fact his direct words were step out of line once more and be suspended.

Maybe he should tell the captain. He'd probably be in more shit for not passing on that information.

"Wait a sec. This guy lives in Queens. Rose Street, that's Queens." Cam told him. Fuck. He hadn't realised that. He was more preoccupied with the fact that he had the address than to twig exactly where it was.

They may work in the border area of Owl'n and Queens but they couldn't just waltz in. If anyone found out… the precincts in Queens were closer to the higher authority. All hell would fall onto them if any of Queens' precincts found out what they were doing. Hell if anyone found out what they were doing.

"It's pertinent to our case," Erik said helplessly.

"Our non-existent case we were told to drop yesterday," Cam reminded him.

"We have leads, I'm not dropping this. Can't we just stop in anyways? Rose Street, that's in the 9th precinct area, I doubt anyone will know we're there."

"We can't investigate in Queens, it's not our area, and not even our case," Cam enforced,"buuut I know someone who can," he continued taking obvious care to add a dramatic flare.

"Who?" Erik asked.

Cam just gave a devilish grin.

* * *

Detective Zac Blakely was a man Erik thought would look more at place in a teen beach movie. He used to be a competitive swimmer and a lifeguard before joining the force. Erik didn't know him all too well, having only heard stories about his cases but from what he did know, had Zac still been around, there would've been some serious competition going down between the two of them.

Erik sat in the driver's seat glancing out the window. Nothing unusual. People. Cars. Buses. Bikes. Traffic lights. Pedestrian crossings beeping. Car horns. The usual incessant city bustling.

Cam sighed from the back seat. "Where the fuck is he? I said 12. It's 5 past."

"Relax Cam. Probably has to avoid daddy finding out he's sneaking out classified files."

"That word no longer means that. It is but another thing corrupted by modern - there he is," Cam stopped his complaint, which Erik knew would've turned into a full rant about the state of modern society, to point to a tanned man with a mop of curly brown hair walking down the street with a backpack on one shoulder and a tray of three coffees.

Erik reached over and opened the passenger door, letting in the city's buzz.

"Thanks. Can you catch this?" Zac held out the tray for Erik to take.

"Sure thing Zac." Erik leaned over and caught the tray taking a firm grip before cautiously sitting back.

"Hey Cam."

Zac bundled himself into the car, lacking the grace of his father. He had swung his backpack round into his lap.

"I got coffee, it's always less suspicious meeting for coffee in cars than just meeting in cars. Cam, the usual." Zac picked one cup from the tray and handed to Cam."This one's mine," he picked another cup, "that's yours. I got you the same as Cam, flat white, hope that's alright."

"Thanks."

"So what's this case issue you had me steal a bunch of files for?"

They'd asked Zac to find what he could on the Suncoast Gang and Harry Culbride, the latter's file would've been in records.

"Harry Culbride. We saw him with this woman," Cam learned forward and handed Zac a photo, one of the ones Erik had taken earlier of Augado and Harry.

"Who is she? She looks sort of familiar."

"I thought that too but we don't know exactly who she is. All we do know is she is leader of the Suncoast Gang and your dad called her Augado."

Zac studied the photo. "Suncoast? Why are you two investigating Suncoast? IBI are dealing with that."

"We're doing this… unofficially," Cam admitted.

"Then count me in," Zac said, surprising them.

"What?" Cam exclaimed.

"What?" Erik exclaimed.

"Yeah, this is what happens on TV and in movies and stuff. Plus you two obviously need help, or we wouldn't be sitting in a car drinking cheap coffee," Zac said.

"Three heads are better than one," Cam agreed.

Erik sighed. He really didn't need the captain's son on this but Cam had a point.

"Can you talk to Harry Culbride?" Erik asked.

"Where does he live?" Zac asked.

"Across the road, apartment 6B." Cam answered.

"We're going now?" Zac asked.

"We don't have time. It won't be long until those files are missing. Also in just over 24 hours there is a delivery to Suncoast Gang going down. IBI don't know about it, I don't think. We've got an APB out on Augado's bike, hopefully we can get a location before then. But we don't know who she is yet," Cam said.

"Right. Let's go talk to a guy who," Zac pulled out a file and opened it, "shouted at a lamppost while drunk. You two want to come with me?"

"Hell yeah," Cam replied instantly. Erik paused to think.  _Why not?_

He voiced his thoughts aloud.

"Why not?"

"Hello?" The man that opened the door was soft spoken and had a worried look on his unshaven face. His eyes darted between the three of them but never making eye contact.

"Can, I help...you?" He sounded worried, his voice matching the look on his face.

"Harry Culbride?" Zac asked.

"That's me." Harry kept the door mostly shut, blocking the view into the apartment.

"Zac Blakely , MCPD," Zac held up his badge, "these are my associates Cameron Mitchell and Erik Fisher. We have a couple questions for you."

"Um, fire away," Harry said.

"Do you recognise this woman?" Cam held out a photo of the still unidentified woman from the meet up earlier.

"No. No, I don't know her." Harry shook his head.

They shared a look.

"Are you sure?" Zac paused. "We have an eyewitness who saw you talking to her yesterday. Unless this isn't you…"

Zac turned to Cam, "Cam , do you have the picture?"

Cam held up a picture of Harry with Augado. The man opened his mouth to speak, then changed his mind.

"I don't know who she is. I was um, expressing grat- itude. You see, I, I babysit for my neighbours, the Swanson's, and one of the kids, they uh, they lost their toy. It was this fluffy rabbit teddy. That woman found it. I didn't get a chance to thank her until I saw her earlier. My therapist, um, said I need more exposure to human contact so, hugs."

Erik noted the man's natural deliverance of that explanation. It didn't seem rehearsed, even though he still didn't meet their eyes.

"I don't know who she is. She just did something nice for me," Harry reiterated.

The man was playing with the edge of his shirt, eyes downcast.

"You alright there, sir?" Erik asked, "You seem nervous."

"I have anxiety."

"Well sorry for wasting your time. If you do happen to find out who that woman is, please drop by the 9th precinct and let me know," Zac said.

Harry slowly shut the door on them. That did not go as planned.

"Well he definitely knows something." Cam said.

Then it hit him.

"Oh my god. You know what I just realised?" Erik asked Zac and Cam.

"What?" Cam's asked.

"Her bike. Her bike will be registered to her. All we need to do in run the plates and we've got a name," Erik said, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice. They might actually get somewhere.

"Oh my god. You know for being detectives you are terrible at this," Zac laughed at them.

"Hey we thought to put out an APB!" Cam defended.

"Come on. We've got a gang leader to identify," Zac said, already walking down the hallway.

* * *

The phone rang in the office of Captain Blakely. He looked up from his file in front of him, one of the many that had been requisitioned from precincts all across Mako City regarding the Suncoast Gang. He put down his pen and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"What the fuck Blakely another checkup?"

It was Harry. The man did not sound happy.

"What do you mean another checkup?" Blakely asked, " I have none scheduled, not for a length of time. You saw her yesterday didn't you?"

"For one minute and I had to sit in with Brynt for half an hour going over everything that happened in the space of sixty whole seconds. Then today I get three detectives at my door asking if I can identify her. They had a photo from our meet up yesterday! You said there was no surveillance."

"Which officers?"

"Your son, and these two - Erik Fisher and Cameron Mitchell. They wanted to know who I was with in that fucking photo."

"Calm down, Harry, I will deal with the officers. You stay quiet, wait for any word from her and pass on any information you get."

* * *

Erik was sitting staring at the computer desktop , spacing out when Cam rolled in beside him.

"So, I ran the plates," Cam announced, "First things first that is a damn cool bike she's got. A 2018 Harley Davidson Street 750, in black denim, basically black matte. It is an incredible bike, I was actually looking at getting one, but on my salary-"

"The bike is not important, who is she?" Erik cut off Cam's rambling about the bike. It was a cool bike, but that didn't matter not when Cam had found her name.

"The bike is registered to one Kerith Augado De Santiago. She has no record,and her fingerprints aren't on file. But I did a little digging to see what I could find out," Cam informed him.

"Well? What did you find?" Erik asked, once it became apparent Cam wasn't going to continue, having turned his attention to his phone.

"Well," Cam pocketed his phone, "she was born in  _Marbella_ , over in Spain and moved here twenty years ago. She went to one of those fancy school in Queens, graduated the same year and same class as Veridia Maris.  _But,_ there is no updated address for her. Last address was in south Norden, one of the apartments they destroyed last year."

"We don't need an address, we'll get a hit on the bike and go from there. Well done Cam," Erik clapped Cam's shoulder before Cam wheeled back over to his desk.

"Kerith Augado De Santiago," Erik breathed. "We're gonna get her."

* * *

"Hey Erik!"

Erik looked up from the paperwork he was helping Ondina fill out. She didn't need the help but he wasn't going to object to any time with her.

Cam was waving him over.

"I'll be back," he whispered to Ondina before walking as unsuspiciously as he could.

"Our APB got a hit. Kerith's bike's been seen parked outside a warehouse in Carvaganno."

One step closer.

"That's a surprisingly good area for a gang nowadays, five years ago yeah, but not now. Usually they operate in...poorer areas, like Gilleten, it tends to be easier to recruit members and go unnoticed. And I will stop before I begin another social commentary." Cam trailed off. He zoomed in on the screen. "Oh that makes sense. It's the south side of Carva', that is right next to Gilleten, lots of drug users up there. They got work from there for years. Those guys single handedly keep the entire Gang in business when they first started."

Erik said nothing. He knew exactly how bad the problems in Gilleten were. He survived there until his sister was killed and his parents could finally afford to leave the area and move to Owl'n. With only one kid, who had his own job, they finally had enough to get away from the worsening poverty in Gilleten. While Carvaganno had gotten better, particularly the east and north side areas, Gilleten had worsened.

The screen showed them a small warehouse situated next to a run down garage. The outside of the warehouse was splattered in spray paint, and had only one door, a steel bolted door a top a small set on concrete stairs.

"21 Trial Road, Carvaganno. We got it," Erik read out the address on the screen.

"Let's tell Zac and set out a plan of action for tomorrow."

"We're going to get her."

"You hear that Kerith. We're coming for you."

* * *

Shit goes down tonight." Cam wheeled in beside Erik's desk on his chair.

"Keep your voice down. We're lucky we only got another warning for talking to Harry yesterday. The captain threatened to suspend us before, he definitely will this time. We cannot have him finding out about tonight," Erik warned.

"Coffee run for private car talk?" Cam asked.

"Done."

Erik grabbed his jacket and followed Cam through the precinct, and down into the garage.

Neither said anything as they walked past rows of cars. There was a vast array of colours, makes, and states of cleanliness.

Cam opened his door and slipped into the car. Erik did the same eager to escape the petrol fumes that somehow always had residence in the parking garage.

"I have a rough plan," Cam said once the doors were shut. "We get the tactical gear and whatnot when the Captain's out meeting the commissioner. We pick up Zac at 8 , you said the shipment arrives at the warehouse at 8:45?"

Erik nodded. "We need to be there as early as we can. Ideally we'd case the place but we can't risk Kerith, or the feds seeing us."

They went quiet.

"So it's really just the three of us going in?" Cam asked, worriedly.

"Well ideally we'd have more but we're an unofficial operation remember?"

"Even just one more person would make it a hell of a lot easier to take down armed gang members. What about Ondina? She's always looking for an excuse to threaten people," Cam suggested.

"I'm not bringing Ondina into this. No offence to her but she's not the best at keeping her mouth shut."

It was true. Ondina could hardly keep a secret, especially from Mimmi , and Mimmi was a lot more rule conscious than Ondina. Ondina was like him in the urge to blatantly disregard authority figures. Not a good quality in the workplace.

"We need the help, mate. It's too dangerous just the three of us, four will make that little bit safer for all of us."

Erik had to admit, Cam had a point. They were going to get busted anyways, it might as well be for bringing down a gang leader and getting out alive than having a dead officer and Kerith disappearing on them.

"I'll bring Ondina in," Erik begrudgingly agreed," but not until later, once she's finished and won't have a chance to tell Mimmi."

"Good plan. Now once again are you entirely sure your information is correct?" Cam asked, easily for the hundredth time.

"Yes," Erik said. That was not entirely a lie, maybe 49% a lie, with the truth having the majority. Kyle was his best CI but there was every chance he had been influenced and was being used to lure him into a trap in which Kerith would kill them all and the Suncoast Gang would continue.

Until the IBI tried. Fuck. Maybe he should've left it to them. Let someone else die.

_Damn you Erik. Damn you. Why can't you leave it well enough alone?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Harry Alexander Culbride
> 
> Cast: Damien Molony (Hal from Being Human (UK))
> 
> If you want to see what Kerith's bike looks like search up "Harley Davidson 2018 street 750 black denim" on images or go to the Harley Davidson website. I tried to post a link but it kept disappearing.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Swearing, mentions of murder, mentions of drugs, scenes some readers may find distressing
> 
> Word Count - 3,118

Erik sat in the driver's seat of his car, Cam beside him in the passenger seat. Once again they had gathered in the car for another meeting, this one would hopefully be their last. In three hours they would be on their way to bust a gang leader.

"Think she got your message?" Cam asked disrupting the heavy silence.

Erik nodded, "I sent a picture with my sexy face and a message to meet here in the garage in my car. On second thought I probably should've just left a normal text message instead."

"Probably," Cam agreed, "that's what normal people do."

"To quote your friend 'life's no fun if your normal all the time'," Erik mimicked Zac. That man had an interesting view on things.

"Oh, there she is." Erik spotted the blonde walking across the oil stained floor, scowling slightly.

Cam rolled down the window."Ondina! Over here!"

"What happened to keeping your voice down?" Erik hissed.

The blonde strode over to the car.

"What do you land boys want?" She asked.

She always called them land boys for some reason. The only ever explanation she offered was - "you live on land and you're a boy, simple." It made some degree of sense, it was odd.

"For you to stop calling us land boys," Cam answered.

Erik sighed, "we need your help on a drugs bust."

"When?" Ondina crossed her arms and leaned against the car.

"Three hours time. You got any plans for tonight?"

"I have a date," Ondina said.

"You what? But we have nothing planned…"

Erik trialed off noting Ondina's smirk.

"It's a Tuesday. I have  _nothing_  to do. No one does anything on a Tuesday," Ondina said, "What do you need me to do?"

"First things first - get in the car we don't want to be overheard," Cam ordered.

Ondina stepped back and took one step to the side. She opened the back door of the car and climbed in. Erik waited until she shut the door before explaining the situation.

"So tonight, in three hours time , we're busting a drug shipment to the Suncoast Gang and we need help. We plan to arrest the leader and anyone else there, but we only have three people and that is not enough for the operation."

"So get a tactical team," Ondina spoke to them like they were children.

"We can't," Cam admitted, "It's an unofficial operation. We go in , we arrest people, stop some drugs, then we get back and hopefully not face too many consequences."

"There will be consequences. Weren't you told to drop the Suncoast case?" Ondina directed toward Erik.

"I was yes, but Ondina," Erik paused, "we need to do this. The Suncoast Gang is a growing empire that needs to be stopped. They're based in Carvaganno right now, all they need to do it get a garage on the east side of Carva and they have unlimited access to the lake."

"And do you really blocking yourself from threatening someone?" Cam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess not. What's the plan?"

Erik grinned. Ondina was in.

"We pick up Zac Blakely, we get in position, we bust in and arrest," Erik explained. "We were planning on waiting until the actual buy happens , so we have just cause to arrest."

Ondina nodded. "How many guys will there be?" She asked.

"Three. There's only one guy unloading and then the driver of the van, plus Kerith," Cam informed her.

"Kerith?"

"Kerith Augado De Santiago. She heads the organisation. After Veridia Maris' death the gang went silent for a year before direct activity started up again last year," Erik explained.

"I know about Veridia and the Suncoast Gang. She made me a deal when I used to live in Carva'. Worked as a low level transporter."

"I have questions," Cam immediately pounced.

"So do I," Erik agreed, he didn't know Ondina had any dealings with Suncoast, or even that she used to live in Carvaganno, "but we're tight on time. Apparently Kerith's been setting up and reorganising for the last 5 years ever since Veridia was offed, most likely by her. I heard she was selling narcotics and firearms through secondary sources, until Suncoast offically re-established, but no ones identified them, or her," Erik finished.

"So how'd did you work for Veridia?" Cam asked Ondina.

"I made two deliveries for her when I was 15, before we moved to Queens. I did community service and told them whatever I knew but they couldn't prove Veridia had anything to do with it. That woman had a top price lawyer, literally got away with murder."

Erik didn't have to be told that. No one got charged or even arrested in connection to his sisters murder, or any of the teenagers found dead around the same time as Veridia was.

_Tonight it ends , Ava. Tonight it ends._

* * *

Erik ducked down behind the partially crumbled drystone wall. From his vantage point he could see the concrete yard.

"Stay alert guys. It's starting."

A muddy blue van pulled in, its lights flashing signalling its plan to reverse. If Kyle was right, there would three crates of handguns and one of imported cocaine from South America.

Seizing those crates as well as catching Kerith would paint them more favourably with the Captain.

They couldn't mess this up. No one had able to locate Kerith for five years after the original raid on the Suncoast Gang following Veridia's death.

The van stopped by the spray painted stairs with the rusted railings. The fire exit door swung outwards and a muscled man with no hair dressed in black stepped out.

Erik watched as the vans lights flashed twice. A signal.

A woman in a black leather jacket and stiletto heels with dark purple hair stepped out onto the stairs. She appeared unarmed.

Still Erik slipped his gun out of its holster and checked it was loaded.

The woman said something he couldn't hear and the man jogged down the stairs and over the van. The driver of the van had gotten out and opened up the back of the van.

"Your CI was right. There's four crates in the back of that," Zac's voice crackled over his earpiece, "one's definitely drugs. Probably well over a million dollars worth. Damn that woman must make a lot of money."

"Not the time Zac. Get into position." Erik directed over the earpiece. He craned his neck to see any movement from the others. He just caught a glimpse of Ondina slipping behind a dumpster.

He turned his attention back to the entirely illegal scene in front of first man who had come from inside the warehouse was carrying one of the crates inside. The woman was talking to the van driver. She pulled out a wad of money from her jacket pocket and gave it to the driver. He scratched his beard while counting the notes.

"Can we strike now?" Ondina asked.

Erik risked a glance to the side. He could just see the top of Ondina's head.

"Not yet," Erik whispered. "Cam, you in position?"

"One step ahead oh you mate, have been for the last five minutes, waiting for you to stop chatting," Cam's hushed reply came over the earpiece.

"Zac?" Erik asked.

"Waiting on your signal. Make it quick, it stinks of death back here." There was a slight pause. "Oh, that's why. Dead rat. Nice."

"Wait for the muscle to come back out. I want everyone to have a note of that van's licence plate, if he takes off someone get an APB out immediately, um, Zac that's your job."

"Got it."

"The muscle's coming back. Erik we gotta go now, Kerith's going back inside when that man gets back,"Cam warned.

"Okay," Erik waited. He swallowed. He had to time this right. The man appeared. The door shut. He went down the stairs.

One step.

Two step.

Three step.

" Prepare to move," Erik paused, "go, go, go!" He gave the order and ran out from behind the wall, gun cocked. Ondina appeared at his side, Zac and Cam on the other side of the courtyard.

"MCPD! Drop your weapons! Hands in the air!"

"MCPD!"

"Hands in the air!"

"Weapons down!"

The muscle pulled out a gun and aimed it at Ondina.

"Weapons down!"

She pointed her own one at the man. He chucked his gun down and ran off past Kerith. The woman hadn't reacted. Ondina sprinted past her after the man, Cam behind her.

The driver bolted to his van and tried to pull open the door, but got grabbed from behind by Zac.

"You're under arrest for possession of illegal substances with intend to sell. You have the right to remain silent," Zac handcuffed the man while reciting the Miranda Rights.

Erik advanced forward held his gun up at Kerith. "Drop any weapons on your possession and put your hands in the air."

"I'm unarmed," Kerith said. She raised her hands.

"On the ground."

"In these heels? You gotta be kidding."

Erik rolled his eyes and lowered his gun and returned it to the holster. The woman wasn't going to move. He had to admit there was something more admirable about a criminal who didn't run off.

"Kerith Augado De Santiago, you're under arrest for illegal gang activity, drug trafficking, possession with intent to sell and arms trafficking." He cuffed the woman's wrists behind her back.

"You do not have to say anything. But, it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

He had her. He had the leader of the Suncoast Gang in cuffs.

Erik looked up to see Ondina. She had the other man, the muscle, in handcuffs as well.

Cam was searching the front of the van.

"Looks clear. Aside from all the illegal crap in the back. No papers though."

"Don't need them," the man spat.

"I think you'll find you do," Zac told the man.

"Can we get back to the precinct? We have three criminals in cuffs. And I could do with a drink." Ondina marched the man to the undercover car parked around the corner and swung open the door.

"Get in."

Erik could help the laugh that came out. They did it. They actually did it. Victory was his.

* * *

One and a half hours. One and a half hours since he arrested Kerith Augado De Santiago. And the woman had refused to talk. In the grand scheme of things it was not his most successful interrogation.

Still it's further on than they were four hours ago back when Cam, Ondina and himself were sitting in the car in the garage waiting for Blakely to hurry up and move his car out so they could leave, get Zac, and bust this woman.

Erik sat in the interrogation room on the uncomfortable chair. He had Kerith sitting with her hands chained in front of him. The woman looked bored. She checked her nails repeatedly and adjusted the rings on her fingers and the leather bands she wore around her wrist.

The only time she had spoken was to ask for a glass of water. Which Erik had gotten for her. Might as well try nice cop first. At least it was only for water, not a lawyer.

Erik had a stack of files beside him, he hoped they were intimidating but knowing this woman's track record…

He had a new tactic. Which required a new file. He selected the topmost file and opened it up. Inside were four photos of two different men. He hoped it would work because he really did not feel like threatening this woman. He honestly had no doubts she could 'deal' with him even when handcuffed to a table.

He took the top photo and set it onto the table with a flourish. As much as he denied it, he did have a penchant for the dramatics.

"Vincent Cullings. Low level drug dealer. Working for you."

He set out another photo. "Alex Benny. Low level drug dealer. Working for you. You may not feel like talking, but they might. I have two officers picking them up as I speak."

Kerith said nothing. Her face was a blank slate betraying no reaction. If she was even the slightest bit concerned about the whole situation, she didn't show it.

Erik gathered the photos up.

"It won't take much for them to roll over on you. Now I doubt they know much, but whatever they do know will be incredibly valuable to us.

"If you wanted to talk, I could get you a deal. Twenty years maybe, maybe less, if you cooperate. You are looking at a life sentence right now. We have airtight evidence, eyewitnesses, surveillance photos."

"Vincent and Alex know nothing," Kerith finally spoke, "They're both dead. There you go, information. That is all you're getting until  _you_  let me talk to Captain Blakely."

Erik sat back defeated. Vincent and Alex were the only two he'd found that were willing to talk. And that's probably why they were dead. All the higher players were scared shitless of Kerith. The woman may barely be 5 and a half feet but fuck she was terrifying. They had the two Kerith was arrested with , Isaac Withers and Alfie Calder, but neither were talking. 

The door swung open and the aged figure of Captain Blakely appeared in the interrogation room.

"Detective Fisher."

He didn't sound happy. Erik inwardly cursed. This was the moment he had been waiting for ever since he made the choice to continue investigating Kerith and the Suncoast Gang, despite the two warnings he was given. But it was worth it to have to woman in chains and way to dissipate the gang.

"Captain-" Erik began.

"Out. Now," Blakely demanded.

Erik pushed the chair back and stood up. He gathered his stack of files up.

"Leave the files Fisher."

Erik ignored the smirk on Kerith's face.

"Goodbye Detective Fisher," she mocked.

He decided he did not like that woman. Not just because of her involvement in illegal dealing, but because she was downright irritating. And had gotten the better of him.

Captain Blakely slammed the door shut causing Erik to spin around in defense to be met with the Captain glaring back through the window.

* * *

"Shit. The Captain's pissed."

Cam cornered him the moment he got back to the bullpen, "What he say?" Cam asked, leaning back against the break room wall.

"He came in and told me to leave." Erik explained.

"You missed the IBI agent. She came into Captain's office, when he had to be called back because of your...stunt," Carly breezed past holding a pile of folders.

"IBI? Damn it," Erik cursed.

"Whatever you did, you're getting suspended for it," Carly told him.

"What?!"

Carly was smiling. It was no secret she did not like him and having her joke about this was a step below being mocked by a gang leader facing a life sentence in prison.

"Six months. Not sure about you Cam and the others but definitely you Erik."

"What? Why?" Erik demanded.

"We were told to back off Kerith and the Suncoast Gang," Cam said, reminding Erik of that fact.

Carly nodded knowingly.

"Good luck," Carly singsonged before continuing onto David's desk, dropping the folders down.

"This can't be happening," Cam said, he turned around and banged his head on the wall.

"You should've backed off. That's what I told Ondina," Mimmi said as she appeared from the break room.

"How much did you hear?" Erik demanded.

"All of it. I have to say, I don't blame the captain for suspending you lot," Mimmi informed them before slipping past Erik and walking to her desk.

* * *

"I think Fisher should come along."

Blakely looked at Kerith in shock.

"He's to be suspended," Blakely told her.

"The guy found out about the shipment. He has a CI in the ranks who I didn't know about and apparently managed to find me with the very minimal information he had. I want him to see what happens next."

IBI Agent Jade Brynt undid the handcuffs on Kerith's wrists.

"She has a point Blakely. And I can't work the surveillance tech by myself. We need an extra set of hands," Jade said.

Kerith took out her phone and quickly began typing out a message.

"How's this?"

She set the phone screen up on the table.

"Need to talk. Meet you at Haze's Bar at 11? It's urgent, something went wrong tonight, and we need to talk damage control ASAP," Jade read out the message, "that's fine. Send it, get him to agree. We have to move up the timeline now, before this whole thing gets compromised. If it's not already."

Kerith nodded and picked up her phone.

"This is Rhys Sanders you're meeting?" Blakley asked.

"Yes," Jade answered.

"He agreed to meet," Kerith announced.

"Perfect! Now B. bring in the Fisher boy, we need to get the surveillance set up now."

* * *

"Captain's back," Cam warned, he had turned back around, forehead red from where he hit it onto the wall.

Erik stood up straighter and noted Cam doing the same.

"Fisher, Mitchell. You're both suspended. 6 months. Mulvey too, wherever she is. Starting tomorrow morning."

Erik just nodded. Six months.  _Fuck._

"What about the Suncoast Gang?" Cam asked.

Erik wanted to know that too. What would happen now? They took down Kerith to take down the whole gang, it would be worth nothing if nothing came from this.

"IBI have it handled. Now Fisher - with me, now."

Erik glanced at Cam.

"Now Fisher."

Erik followed the captain back through into the interrogation room. Kerith was out of handcuffs but was still seated.

A Latinx woman he hadn't seen before was sitting in the seat he had occupied. She had dark curly hair and a disapproving stare.

"Fisher, this is Agent Jade Brynt with the IBI. She had need of your services for a task."

"I thought I was suspended?" Erik asked.

The captain had literally just told him he was being suspended, now IBI wanted his help?

"Starting tomorrow. This will only take a couple hours, we all want to get home."

Erik felt that barb aimed at him.

"What's the task?"

"We need to you to assist with surveillance at a bar in 45 minutes, we hope it will lead to the disintegration of the Suncoast 're leaving now to set up. You up for it?" Brynt asked.

"Hell to the yeah," Erik said, repeating Cam's weird phrase from earlier.

"Hell to the yeah," Jade repeated, "I like it."

_It was worth it! I'm getting suspended but fuck it. The Suncoast Gang is really going down._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The middle of this chapter, where they arrest Kerith and the other two, that scene was actually the first part of this story that I wrote. I got the idea from that scene and started writing it at break time on the Monday morning when I started. I think this was back at the start of Feburary, I can't remember exactly
> 
> Character: Alfie Calder (the muscled man unloading the van)
> 
> Cast: Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen/Green Arrow from the "Green Arrow" TV series 2012-)
> 
> Character: Isaac Withers (van driver)
> 
> Cast: Jason Momoa
> 
> Character: Jade Brynt
> 
> Cast: Stephanie Beatriz (Rosa Diaz from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine")


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings - swearing, mild violence/threat, scenes some readers may find distressing
> 
> Word Count - 1,518

"Okay, she's in. Are the cameras still working?"

Erik stood behind Agent Jade Brynt watching the plain blue desktop of the computer screen.

They were in a house further up the street from Haze's Bar that IBI had set up. Haze's Bar was a place of interest for the IBI's Suncoast Investigation, and Erik himself had noted it was frequented by a large number of known felons.

Erik had to admit, IBI had a far more elegant and high tech approach to taking the gang down. His plan had basically been go in guns blazing and arrest people.

_It worked though._

"Should be connecting now," Captain Blakely said.

Jade pressed a key on the keyboard and the blank screen became a grid showing footage from different angles.

"It's up. Thanks B," Jade said. She brushed her black curly hair back with her hands and tied it in a low ponytail.

Erik studied the screen. Three out of six boxes showed a half empty bar. A man and a woman sat at a table by the entrance. Two men sat at the table across the room from them.

A lone dark-haired man with a trimmed beard sat at the bar, three bottles of beer in front of him and one filled glass of something clear.

The bartender was a woman with light hair tied up. She was wiping down the counter at the opposite end from the lone man.

"Sanders is there," Jade announced.

"Watch his movements. Kerith should be meeting him in a minute, it's nearly 11."

"Copy that," Jade replied. She turned to Erik and lowered her voice, "you see that man at the bar. That's Rhys Sanders, Kerith's right hand man. She gives the commands, he implements them, from what we've seen."

Erik had heard that name once before but never had any information on him. No one had given him up , the same way no one had given Kerith up.

Two boxes on the screen showed the entrance to the bar. The final one showed the outside, where Kerith stood, smoking a cigarette.

"Sanders is on the move," Jade reported.

The man who had been sitting alone at the bar drained the glass he had in front of him. He set it down on the bar along with a banknote and some coins on the bar, got up and walked out. No one looked at him as he left.

"Sanders is heading your way," Captain Blakely spoke into a microphone.

"Got it," Kerith's heavy accent came over a speaker. The woman was wearing a wire and would hopefully be arranging a meet up with the gang. Hopefully.  _Knowing her she's probably going to blow this and escape_. He was lucky enough he was somehow on this mission- if anything went wrong he would be was already going to be suspended. Along with Cam and Ondina, he hadn't heard anything about Zac, but he'd call Cam tomorrow and find out.

Sanders appeared on the final screen beside Kerith.

"Augado. Heard you were arrested," Sanders said. He had a flat voice conveying no emotion.

"I made bail," was Kerith's reply, in the same disinterested tone as Sanders.

"Hmm." Sanders nodded slowly. "You wanted to talk?"

Kerith exhaled a puff of smoke. She dropped her half smoked cigarette on the already littered ground and stamped on it, grinding it into the concrete.

"We need to set a meeting to talk new strategy. If a couple of random detectives found out about the last shipment, the feds will almost definitely know about the next."

"You want all the guys to jump because you let information slip?" He stepped close, towering over her.

Kerith turned to him and shoved the man up against the wall by his neck.

"How do I know it wasn't you who 'slipped' the information?" she hissed, "listen to me because I will say this only once - We don't have enough supplies left to sell to meet the quota. And I am not leaving our suppliers unpaid again."

She withdraw her arm and Sanders fell to the ground.

"I need you to set up a meeting. All our high players - Terry, Bianca, Sofia, Tito and whoever else you can get, Helda, Jim. As many as possible, even the bag boys will do. Can you do that Rhys?"

Sanders coughed and gasped and nodded.

"Set it for tomorrow night. We'll say 7:15pm at the warehouse in Queens. We need to gather our stock from there before we abandon it."

"Got it  _boss_. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good boy. Now any more of that tone, and I will cut out your tongue."

Kerith walked off and disappeared off the screen.

Sanders stayed down on the ground, glaring at the cigarette butts.

"Well done," Blakely congratulated Kerith, "Get back here and-"

"That's not happening," Kerith's voice came over the speaker again, cutting Blaklely off.

 _No. No. No._ Erik was definitely getting fired if Kerith disappeared...

"I'm going to my fiance's, and he'll talk to you tomorrow, when he's dealing with your  _IT emergency_."

"That is a better idea," Jade said," she was just arrested , it's highly likely some of them will be skittish about her. It's possible they've got surveillance on her as well."

"Jade's got it. Now I have to go, I've used up all my minutes."

There was a slight static crackle before silence.

"She knows what she's doing. I'll bet she was pretending to be on her phone, it's a classic trick," Jade said.

"Who's her fiance?" Erik asked. It was a weird thought that someone like her would have a fiance.

"Harry Culbride. The man you nearly got suspended for talking to against orders," Blakely told him.

"Ah." That explained a few things, like how Blakely knew they talked to him. That had bothered Erik all day yesterday. And if Harry was being used as an informant, then it stands to reason he would've called Blakely to tell him three detectives were questioning him.

If he had been Harry, he would've assumed it was a test. Erik felt slow the creeping guilt. They definitely fucked about with Harry's mind and if the man had been telling the truth, about having anxiety…

_Fuck._

"Well we've lost connection with Kerith. She's probably ditched the wire," Jade said.

"Will she turn up again?" Erik asked. His job was on the line now.

Jade nodded, "of course. It's her only chance of getting a reduced prison sentence, if not immunity."

Erik glanced to the side and saw Blakely eying Jade warily. The older man turned away when he saw Erik's stare.

_There is something going on here._

* * *

Erik sat with his feet up on one of the three reclining chairs of Cam's living room. The rest of the room was made up of a a cream couch that still retained a new smell; a large glass coffee table; a large flat screen TV Erik estimated to be at least 52 inches; and a large window offering a view of the beach and the sea stretching out for miles. The sunlight glimmered on the waves and the odd boat bobbed about.

Cam's top floor apartment was on the south shore, not far from the precinct. While Cam paid rent himself, there was no doubt his father had helped purchase most of the interior decorations. The smell of high class luxury clung to everything from the plain wallpaper , to the plush carpet , to every lampshade. It was a far cry from his own apartment.

Ondina had claimed the reclining chair opposite him and was taking full advantage of it, sitting with her feet up like Erik was. Zac had the final chair. Cam was in the kitchen portion of the open plan , getting drinks for the four of them.

Erik had told them what happened the previous night when they first arrived, and what was set up for that evening with the Suncoast Gang.

"Well thanks to us, the Gang will be taken down sooner," Ondina said. The blonde didn't seem concerned about being suspended. Erik suspected she was going to take full advantage of having no work by sleeping in every day. He had his own plans in the works involving a trip away for the two of them. It'd be nice to get away from the city for a while.

"Cheers to that," Zac responded.

"I got us all beer. Seeing as we have no work for six months, might as well day drink," Cam held four bottles of beer in his hands. He handed a bottle to each of them before flopping onto the couch , somehow not spilling any of his beveridge onto the fabric.

"To the end of the Suncoast Gang!" Erik toasted.

"To the end!"

Erik grinned before taking a swig of his beer. IBI would take down as much of the gang as they could then hopefully those they arrested would turn on their associates and the network could be entirely dismantled.

_It was all for you Ava. I'm going to get the name of who killed you and then move on, once and for all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Rhys Sanders
> 
> Cast: Skeet Ulrich (FP Jones from "Riverdale", Billy Loomis from "Scream" the 1996 movie)


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Swearing, murder, death, violence, a mass shooting scene (it's not graphic but it is there), scenes which some readers may find distressing is particularly enforced in this chapter. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
> 
> If you want to skip that shooting scene it begins after a line break with "Everyone understand their assignments? The rest of you spread the word-" Kerith was cut off by the door bursting open. and ends after the next line break with " Erik hadn't moved since 7:15pm exactly. "
> 
> This is actually the last chapter of "The Suncoast Gang", there is an epilogue to come taking place six months later, then another MCPD book that will feature some of the characters that weren't in this one like Evie, Nixie, Lyla. I did intend to have Evie in this story but I never managed to fit her in it. I'm hoping to have more focus on all characters in the next one, I didn't even mean to have this one be Erik-centric it just sort of happened while writing...
> 
> Word Count - 2,156

"Cover every entrance. No one is getting away," Agent Jade Brynt directed the officers preparing to bust the Suncoast Gang. Armed men and women in uniforms and tactical gear stood around, some carrying glocks, some carrying sniper rifles.

The plan wasn't to take down any members, only subdue. Yet Jade knew it was highly likely every person in that warehouse had at least one firearm on them.

When you have people with guns in a situation like this - they panic and they shoot and that causes needless death and injury. Then they need to be taken down before things escalate. Hence the officers in ambulances scattered amongst the police cars. If something went wrong people would need urgent medical attention.

"I want this whole area sealed off. There are 39 armed gang members in there, and your job is to get as many of them in cuffs as possible."

* * *

The inside of the warehouse was an organized system of shelves and boxes each labelled and dated. Stock management is not to be overlooked.

Through in one of the back rooms Rhys Sanders stood beside Kerith Augado De Santiago in front of around 40 odd members of the gang.

Sanders made it a point to know everyone involved in the operation and he recognised everyone's faces out in the crowd. He had managed to get everyone Kerith asked for ,and more, to attend the meeting. He saw Tito Navedo at the back of the room; Sofia Rodriguez and Bianca Diaz off to the left; Jim Leigh and Helda Scott standing together in front of him, and Terry Dundas was skulking around somewhere.

Another quick scan of the room revealed more faces he'd missed on the first look. James 'Jigsaw' Auld, Ben Hamilton, Dale Locke, the three Johns: John Baikie, John Sinclair and John Murray. The new boy Kyle Henderson was out there too, as was Donald, Sarah, William, David and Camilla. Sherridan wasn't there.  _Bastard's probably gotten high on his own supply, too stoned to move his arse. Kerith will kill him when she sees him. Although she didn't ask for him…. Fuck it, he's probably already dead._

Sanders exhaled heavily and took a single step to stand beside Kerith. He leaned in slightly to speak to her without anyone else hearing.

"That's all we're going to get. It's 7:35, anyone who was going to be here, would be," he told Kerith in a low voice.

She just nodded.

"Tell this lot to shut up and we'll get started," Kerith said.

"Alright listen up people!" He called out.

Some of the chatter dimmed as those closest to him heard his order.

He saw Kerith roll her eyes. That woman had limited patience.

"Everyone shut it! I dragged your arses out here for a reason so kindly shut the fuck up and listen!" Sanders shouted.

The chatter stopped and everyone's attention was on him and Kerith.

"Thank you Rhys," Kerith thanked him, before addressing the crowd, "as most of you know I was arrested last night along with Alfie and one of our suppliers - Isaac Withers. I made bail, they didn't. Now the detectives who busted us, they weren't IBI, they weren't Organised Crime, they were just normal detectives who weren't even supposed to be investigating us. And yet they found out about this delivery. A delivery not even the IBI knew about. I want to know why. Does anyone here know anything?"

The silence was heavy. Sanders watched their faces. No one gave anything away. If any of these people were guilty of snitching, they weren't showing it. Not surprising. Snitches get their tongues cut off. People tend not to like pain, and from what he'd heard, getting your tongue cut out is painful.

Kerith laughed," I'm kidding. If we go down, you're all out a very well paying job."

The crowd laughed and Sanders watched as they all relaxed. Was that the real reason for why she wanted this meeting? To threaten people?

"However - we do have a serious need for a complete rehaul. The feds are onto us again, so we're going to lay low. Do what we did when Veridia died, make them think we're gone. Shipments will come through on the fishing boats again, Sanders, you're in charge of re-organising collection spots. Set them for the lake and the far docks," Kerith said.

Re-organisation. There were better tasks, but you don't disagree with Kerith, not without serious consequences.

"You got it," Sanders agreed. Then he dared to ask a question, if they were to reopen the old traffic routes, it'd get done quicker. " Should we -?"

"We are not recruiting more kids. We stopped that for many reasons, and we are not starting it up again, not when we need to disappear," Kerith shot down his question.

Those teenagers they had working for them when Veridia was still around were useful. Though they did talk too easily. However one of the reasons Kerith was talking about was the fact that more often than not, it ended with Tito dumping their bodies in alleyways. That was Tito's job, to deal with weaknesses on his own accord. It left a big mess and a body trail marked with the distinctive "Suncoast Special" carvings. No one had even gotten charged for the murders but people had gotten arrested and were never seen again, locked up for life.

"You're the boss," Sanders said. If he pissed off Kerith too much Tito might decide he'd served his purpose and he'd be the next body found. It was only a few days since Mick was found, another one would straight up terrify everyone. Maybe he should suggest they dump him in Norden, scare the shit out of those privileged arseholes.

That'd be fun. Although he doubted Tito would end it quickly. Yep, sticking with Kerith was the smartest plan.

"We're all in position, waiting on your signal," Agent Kendrick Anderson's voice sounded behind Jade. He was speaking into the microphone connected to the surveillance team consisting of Captain Blakely and IBI Special Agent Will Benjamin. Jade herself wore an identical microphone and earpiece to Kendrick.

"Move into the warehouse. They're in a back room so stay quiet and wait for the word to bust in," Will's voice came over the speaker.

No sooner had he spoken Kendrick jogged off and the first of the officer's entered the warehouse. Kendrick stood beside the door with one of the sniper guys and directed them in in pairs.

"Jim and Helda, I need you two to pay off the corner boys here in Queens, I don't think they've noticed our presence here but better safe than sorry. Jigsaw and Ben, you do the same in Norden , and Dale you take Owl'n. We'll keep selling and dealing in Carvaganno and Gilleten, there's enough activity not connected to us so, we'll blend in as normal. We will focus on spreading through Carvaganno, try and take out the Fins Gang and become the only distributors in the area. We drop our symbol and let them think it's Fins ruling the area, not us," Kerith directed.

"It's not like the cops will care. No one cares about Carvaganno, and especially not Gilleten," Tito called out.

"They do care," Kerith responded with a grin, "As long as we make good of those areas, they keep their jobs. It's a win-win. We make cash, they make cash."

"By sitting on their fat arses and throwing case files into the bin," John Murray said.

"Don't forget the donuts," John Sinclair added.

The room exploded into rapacious laughter.

* * *

In the surveillance van Blakley and Special Agent Will Benjamin heard everything that was going on.

"They sure don't like cops," Benjamin said.

"No one in those areas like cops. That won't change until we start dealing with the problems," Blakley responded.

Nothing was done in those poorer areas . There was one precinct for the whole of Gilleten and the mass of crime that went unpunished there made clearing the streets seem impossible.

That's why this was important.

The Suncoast Gang was largely responsible for Gilleten still being in the state it is, once they were gone it would be easier to clear up. The only other major gang was the Fins Gang, but in comparison to Suncoast - they were nothing.

"If you need more officers, we can spare a few to help clean up those areas," Benjamin offered, "Poverty should not be existing nowadays, I want to see it all sorted out."

* * *

Sanders quickly calmed down and stopped laughing. He noticed Kerith hadn't joined in. She had always been odd around cops, she never joined their japes about them or laughed at the jokes.

"Okay, okay," Kerith regained controlled of the room, "back to the matter at hand. Our next shipment comes in three days. I want everything sorted by then. If it's not - I start knocking out teeth."

* * *

"-I start knocking out teeth."

The signal.

"Jade, she gave the signal, move luck you guys!" Benjamin spoke hurriedly over the microphone.

* * *

"Everyone understand their assignments? The rest of you spread the word -" Kerith was cut off by the door bursting open.

Armed IBI agents entered the room, weapons up. Sanders froze.

"IBI! Everyone stay where you are!" A man with a deep voice commanded.

There was a second before it all went so very wrong.

The people didn't listen.

Sanders pushed Kerith to the side as people began panicking and surging away from the IBI. Kerith stumbled backwards, he caught her arm and helped her steady out on her feet.

"Thank you," she thanked him.

He nodded in response. Getting trampled didn't seem fun. He looked around the room. People everywhere and no way out.

"Stay where you are!" the IBI man shouted again.

He couldn't tell who was screaming.

It was multiple people letting out wails of panic as they were trapped between walls and guns.

There was no way out of the room. Kerith kept the back door locked and IBI were blocking the front one.

What he could tell though, amid the chaos was who fired that first gunshot.

It was Tito.

Sanders could only watch as the large man pulled out his gun from his waistband and cocked it.

"No!" Sanders shouted but the other man already had fired. After that he was lost.

Someone else fired. Then another one.

Then another.

Sanders kept a hold of Kerith's arm and tried to find a way through the sea of people.

Screams.

Shouts.

Gunshot.

Body.

Blood.

Gunshot.

Body.

Screams.

Body.

Tito dropped to the ground.

Sofia got arrested.

All three Johns fired.

All three Johns got shot.

Donald got arrested.

Kyle got shot.

People were still pushing trying to get out.

People were still getting shot.

He couldn't tell who was firing. Was it his fellow gang members? Or IBI?

He saw Kerith drop. He still had a hold on her arm. He stumbled backwards as she inadvertently pulled him down with her.

Then a bullet embedded itself in his abdomen. He crashed to the ground.

Blood.

Pain.

Screams.

Gun-

* * *

Erik hadn't moved since 7:15pm exactly. Neither had Cam, Zac or Ondina. They had the news channel playing on Cam's TV and were watching for any news on the Suncoast Gang.

He checked his phone. 7:58.

Then came what they were waiting for.

"Breaking news from this hour," the woman on the TV announced.

"Here we go," Cam said, "this could be it."

Ondina shushed him.

Erik waited for Cam to fight back and argue but the woman on TV began talking again.

"A shoot out between the Island Bureau of Investigation and members of the Suncoast Gang earlier this evening sent shock waves throughout the Queens area. A total of 13 people have been confirmed dead and a further 20 injured. We'll know more as the story unfolds."

_Fuck._

* * *

Sirena had always hated the smell of hospitals. The bleach particles always clung to the air and the disinfectant formed veils of torture. She clutched the bunch of flowers she had bought from the gift shop tighter in her hand.

Sirena stood alone in the lift and checked her bag. She had a pack of polo mints and two bottles of Irn Bru in there. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to bring it in, but she was a pro at sneaking food in places she wasn't meant to. You don't hang around with Nixie Llyr your whole life without picking up a few tricks.

The lift stopped and the doors slid open to another reception area. It seemed every floor was laid out the same, just a confusing labyrinth designed to confuse people.

She skipped up to the reception desk.

"Hi, my aunt was brought in yesterday, multiple gunshot wounds from that shooting on Faith Street? I was told I could come see her."

"What's your aunt's name?" The woman asked in a flat voice.

"Rita Santos."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character: Will Benjamin (yes, Will from h2o)
> 
> Cast: Luke Mitchell
> 
> Gang Members mentioned:
> 
> Terry Dundas
> 
> Tito Navedo
> 
> Bianca McGee
> 
> Sofia Rodriguez
> 
> Helda Scott
> 
> Jim Leigh
> 
> James "Jigsaw" Auld
> 
> Dale Lockie
> 
> John Baikie
> 
> John Sinclair
> 
> John Murray
> 
> Kyle Henderson (Erik's CI)


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Swearing, mentions of death and gun violence
> 
> Word Count: 974

Erik yawned and stretched and leaned back in his chair. First day back after his suspension. Ondina was back too and was on her second coffee already before 9:30am. Cam had yet to appear, a fact which worried Erik. If he was late on his first day back, it would be his last day back.

"Attention squad."

The door to Captain Blakely's office opened and the man himself walked out.

Erik sat up and adjusted his tie. Might as well make a good impression, act like he wanted to be here. After six months of suspension, he'd gotten used to never having to wake up early.

A woman followed out behind him on crutches. She wore work trousers and a blue dress shirt, and had a badge attached to her hip. She had decidedly auburn hair, yet the ends were a dark purple , that she had partially tied back.

Erik recognised her face. He had arrested her six months ago. He had then helped IBI Agent Jade Brynt as that woman had been used to set up a meeting to take down the Suncoast Gang. Kerith Augado De Santiago.

Kerith had gotten shot during the Faith Street Shooting , the name given to the events that had transpired that night between the Suncoast Gang and the IBI. The Faith Street Shooting had lead to the death of 16 gang members and the arrest of over 70 other members. The Suncoast Gang had been officially dealt with.

Kerith had survived the multiple gunshot wounds to the leg and Erik had thought she'd been jailed with the others. Now however, it didn't seem that was the case by the time she was in the precinct … and wearing a police badge.

_Fuck. Oh fuck fuck fuck._

"Everyone, this is Detective Rita Santos, she was undercover the last six years within the Suncoast Gang and will be re-joining us here at the 1-3 once cleared from medical leave," Blakley announced.

Erik slumped at his desk and let his head slam onto the table.

They had royally fucked up.

* * *

Erik hovered at the entrance to the break room uncertain on whether to enter or not. Sirena was sitting on the couch beside Ker- Rita, who had her leg up. From what he'd witnessed the past hour, Rita was nothing like Kerith. She didn't even have the Spanish accent

That bothered him. The fact that she was nothing like Kerith, not the accent part.

It made the guilt rise up again. She had just been a cop doing her job working under incredibly adverse conditions and got shot because of his revenge driven action plot.

He sighed and walked in.

"This is Erik," Sirena said.

"We've met," Rita said flatly. So different from Kerith.

"I'm sorry," Erik apologised. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt, and I -"

"I don't want to hear anymore, I've had nothing but half formed pitiful apologies the last six months from people who had nothing to do with this. I accept your apology, you were just doing your job."

Erik relaxed only slightly.

"In future though, check your ambitions. Just because doing something is right, doesn't excuse you from acting like an anti-hero. You're a cop, you follow the rules."

"I know. And thank you," Erik said, "I do have a few questions though…"

He knew he had no right to ask anything but the whole reason he went all "anti-hero" was to find what happened to Ava. It'd been six months and he was no closer.

"How long were you undercover for?" he asked.

"Six years."

That was a long time.

"They were still using teenagers back then weren't they?"

"They were, I was assigned to stop that, which I did."

Erik swallowed.

"Did you ever meet any of those teenagers?"

"Some."

"Did you ever meet Ava Fisher? Sixteen, blonde hair, blue eyes, quite small? She started working in 2013, she was only there about a month before she was killed. She was found the same day as Veridia was."

"I can't say I ever met her. Was she a relative?"

"She was my sister. Do you know who killed her?"

"Most likely Tito. Tito Navedo, he dealt with those things.."

"T-Tito? He was killed wasn't he?"

"At Faith Street, yes. He started the shooting. He was one of the first to be shot."

Erik stumbled backwards. He had an answer. A probable answer. And the guy was already dead. There is no justice in death.

"Erik?" Ondina asked from behind him.

"I'm fine," he whispered," I'm fine."

He turned to face Ondina and the world tilted violently. He stumbled and fell the rough carpet beneath him making an uncomfortable landing. The floor swirled before his eyes and then settled to nothing.

* * *

It was snowing again. It always snowed. The cold and the snow were part of the fabric of normality now. It was cold. It snowed. Big deal. After five years of this, she was fed up. She didn't know how the locals who lived here there whole lives were still enraptured by it. The cold was unbearable. The snow became an irritance. She watched a for a few seconds as the newest snowfall added to the drifts that had built up days ago and were still yet to thaw. The snowflakes clung to window creating a natural curtain.

She closed the dark and warm interior curtains and sighed. What she wouldn't give for a day of warm Australian sun...

The phone rang out, startling her slightly. She stared at it for a second, let it sound out its warning of an incoming call before crossing the room. She answered it .

"Hello?"

"Good news," the voice was a familiar , flat baritone, " it has been declared safe for you to return to Mako Island. You can come home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that is MCPD: The Suncoast Gang finished. This is actually the first multiple chapter story I've ever finished. What I did this time is I wrote it all and edited it all and had every chapter ready to post before I posted anything and it worked - I tend to loose interest in something once I've posted it so this kept me focused on actually finishing this.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this story
> 
> So here is the summary for the next book, MCPD: The Trident
> 
> AU. Human/detective. In the Mako capital there's no shortage of crime, but the city's finest is always on the case. The theft of a valuable artefact puts the team against the clock and against themselves to find it.

**Author's Note:**

> Updates will be on Wednesdays and Sundays.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this very short prologue


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